OPINION
Stinginess and heartless are some of bad
habits which many people don't like to be associated with but in the
tropical rain forest of Africa among the community of De Brazza monkey
these awful custom are way of life and they are proud of themselves
regardless of what other primates think or do.
The life of these small black monkeys is built on an oppressive
system called Dominance hierarchy which makes them to live according to
their social and economical class while creating happiness to oppressors
and pain and fear to the oppressed but on the other hand it reduces
tension for food and breeding partners.
The bossy system may be observed in group called troops which consist
of four to ten individuals during normal time or more clearly during
breeding season when the number increases to 40 individuals when males
come from all parts of the forest to congregate into a natal bush where
they will struggle against each other for breeding partners.
The scramble is not easy because of the presence of a strong and
wicked resident male whose job is to protect the female troop and gain
priority on selecting a breeding partner but also because of fear of
being ousted. Normally he does not like or allow his brothers and male
relative to linger near their natal place.
By paying a heavy price of higher metabolic rates and higher levels
of stress hormones which cause him to feel insecure the strong male will
stop all females in his group from getting near the disturbing males
while fighting and chasing them far from the bush with all his energy.
To terrify the intruders he will start by a yawninglike action which
is done by opening his mouth to display the red inner part as a symbol
of power but if they don't get out from his sight he will inflate his
vocal sac with air to produce strong louder voice while jumping on tree
branches to shake grasses and leaves to tell his rivals what he is
capable of doing if they still want to come into the group.
Biologists say that to overcome this hard situation the male has to
spend most of his spare time eating more food so that he may replenish
the lost energy and meet future energy demanding offensive actions
against those who are more likely to take his position.
Among the society of these arboreal primates, in order to be a
resident male one has to start the process of aspiring for the position
at early age when he is dwelling in the natal bush with his mother,
aunties and sisters by showing his ability to be a male of action
through shaking of tree branches and boasting movements around the group
at the grooming time while bending his tail up and backward.
These actions are precious investments which help the aspirant to be
recognised by females when they are forced out of the natal place after
reaching a maturity stage of six years but also get respect from lower
ranking fellows in the bachelor groups where they are going and even be
remembered at time when they want to take up the group as resident male.
Scientists believe that the resident male chase out young male from
the natal place in order to control the number of members in natal group
so that it may be easy for him to make decisions and implement them at
right time and requirements.
This is justified by the time when the number of males in a group
increase because of high tension lessens the ability to make any
decision and it becomes almost impossible.
Peace and stability in the group always get a very big challenge in
the period between February and April when breeding season starts and
the number of males in any group increases as stronger males fight with
the dominant male for a chance to breed with strong females who are in
heat at this time while weaker male may stand aside and wait for the
rival male to be exhausted and let them to take weaker females who their
breeding ability is very minimum.
Segregation among De Brazza monkeys allow the stronger upper class to
prosper at the expenses of lower ranking class whose female member who
do not have enough energy to produce satisfactory milk to their new born
which minimising their chance of growing up and challenge the stronger
upper class.
Scientists say the oppressive system provide better chance to
stronger male to breed with stronger female at right time who go through
a gestation period of six months followed by another six months for the
milking mother to take care of the youngster until its 12 months old
when weaning happen and the mother may carry another pregnancy.
The scientific name of De Brazza monkeys is Cercopithecus neglectus
and they flourish and dwell in wet are deep in the tropical rainforest
of Africa where they eat wild fruits, flowers, leaves, mushrooms,
beetles, termites, worms, and lizards but when they feel insecure the
may store the harvest into a special pouch under their cheek which may
be eaten at safer place.
This is a morphological stinginess feature which helps these monkeys
to avoid other primates in what scientists call Speciesism character
whereby one specie gives consideration, recognise and respect its own
specie only. In Tanzania the De Brazza monkeys are found only in Saanane
Island National Park of Mwanza where they were introduced by the
ministry of natural resources and tourism
By Reginald Stanislaus (allAfrica.com)
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